After directing Ratatouille, The Incredibles, The Iron Giant it is no surprise that Brad Bird has filled the Mission: Impossible shoes just right. Bird intended to put together a bang up action film with Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, and that is exactly what you would hope for, but not expect with the fourth film of a franchise that is now nearly 16 years old. The main reason this franchise continues to work so well is Tom Cruise's ability to nail the Ethan Hunt character each and every time. With the added talent of Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, and Paula Patton it's no wonder this was one of the highest grossing action films in recent years.

Picking up a few years after the last franchise's installment we discover that an important document of importance is nearly in IMF's grasp. When IMF accidentally loses the document to an assassin, which happens to contain Russian nuclear launch codes, it us up to Ethan and his new team to track down the original codes in the Kremlin before the document containing the codes falls into the wrong hands. Before the team can accomplish their mission they realize that the man who wants the codes even more than they do (Kendricks) is managing to stay one step ahead of them. Kendricks not only intends buy the document from the assassin, but he also intends to wage his own war so that there can be peace.

Everything seems straight forward until an unforeseen complication at the Kremlin causes the president to issue Ghost Protocol for IMF, that is, the team must get the nuclear launch codes back on their own without any assistance from the US government. With the clock ticking and Kendrick's plan always a step ahead will this rogue IMF team led by Ethan Hunt be able to stop him before it's too late?

I honestly have no reservations about calling Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol the best action film of 2011. I was entertained from start to finish as there is always something to keep you on the edge of your seat. The script is well crafted, the acting superb, the plot mostly believable. If you enjoyed the first three films in this series do not hesitate to pick this up on Blu-ray. Due to violence this is not suitable for younger children.

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol explodes onto Blu-ray with a perfect transfer. Despite not having the IMAX sequences, which were presented theatrically, the film shines from start to finish. Colors are well saturated and flesh tones accurate without any causes for complaint. There is a fine veil of grain that is visible enough to remind the viewer that they are indeed watching a film. Fine detail is top notch as well as every dark hair as every texture is clearly visible. There is also no evidence of DNR, EE, or compression artifacts whatsoever. I would have liked it if Bird had released an IMAX version, but make no mistake that this release of Ghost Protocol is flawless in itself. My own screen captures of Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol can be found below.

Just when you think you've seen perfection with Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol you realize that you're also hearing it. Released theatrically in Dolby 7.1 Paramount has graciously opted to provide a bombastic Dolby TrueHD 7.1 track with this Blu-ray. Dialogue is well prioritized in the center channel even during louder sequences without ever having issues whatsoever. The fronts and surrounds are constantly used for the film's engaging score and to make it even better the directional effects are flawless. There are moments when you feel like you're on the exterior of a building hundreds of feet in the air or that an explosion is enveloping you from all angles. The LFE usage is absolutely insane without ever drowning out other sounds. If you have fragile items laying around I suggest securing them before cranking this one up. To put it simply this is undoubtedly the best Dolby TrueHD 7.1 mixthat I have heard on the format with TRON: Legacy still holding the title of best DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 mix.

The general release of Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol comes with an extremely average set of supplements. However, a limited edition with an additional BD-25 was released and is exclusive to Best Buy. The limited edition contains over an hour of additional material. The extras on the general release are still worth watching, but if you're a die hard fan then I suggest picking up the 3 disc version from Best Buy.

This general release contains 15 minutes of deleted scenes as well as four featurettes, which focus on key filming sequences, props, and other filming challenges. In total these four feautrettes make up about 35 minutes worth of material. Every supplement is presented in 1080p. There's also a DVD version of the film on a second disc and an Ultraviolet Digital Copy as well.

Movie: 8/10
PQ: 10/10
AQ: 10/10
Supplements: 5/10
Final Word: A Must Own